Yes. You read that correctly, Catholic Church’s exorcist thinks that yoga and Harry potter are evil. I could understand if we were talking about Twilight :p 😉 but yoga? Seriously? Yoga has nothing to do with religion, it is a means to attain of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility. Now this insight can be a belief in Christianity, Hinduism, Islam or just a way to calm yourself after a stressful day and get a toned body while you are at it. In certain religions yoga does have a big significance but that doesn’t make it evil. Just as anything that doesn’t fall under your narrow definition of good doesn’t make it evil.
Father Gabriele Amorth, who for years was the Vatican’s chief exorcist and claims to have cleansed hundreds of people of evil spirits, said yoga is Satanic because it leads to a worship of Hinduism and “all eastern religions are based on a false belief in reincarnationâ€.
Coming to Harry potter being evil, I find that even more silly than people believing that Yoga is evil. If your people can’t understand the difference between fantasy and reality then I am sorry but you have bigger problems to worry about. The books, even though they have magic are about how you can win against all odds if you have the determination and strength to persevere.
I am not a very religious person, if you are a religious person good for you. I don’t use religion to figure out what/who to like or what to ‘hate’, I make my own choices. If that makes me a sinner in your eyes that’s your problem not mine. We are like blind men trying to describe an elephant, and each one insisting that they have the only correct interpretation. Found this image a couple of days ago on the web and had to go find it again for this post as I find it apt.
Finally I would like to end this post with a quote “I don’t fear God, I fear those who claim to speak on his behalf”.
This is all for now. Will post more later.
– Suramya
Source: ‘Harry Potter and yoga are evil’, says Catholic Church exorcist – Telegraph